


Fencing with the media

by Meep002



Series: The Road to Three [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Coach Skywalker, F/M, Fencing AU, Interview, M/M, Miscommunication, Multi, Olympic Fencer-Rey, Team Manager Organa, home coming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 14:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7055683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meep002/pseuds/Meep002
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An interview with Rey after a competition has her ready to show the media just how close she was to losing everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fencing with the media

**Author's Note:**

> Part of this effort to find character voices while in an AU. Oops.  
> I know little about fencing, so correct me if I'm wrong. I'm going for generic-sportsman ship approach. 
> 
> Any feedback is much appreciated.  
>  Thank you x

And the woman who goes only by Rey, this year’s surprise at in the international competitions. Although she started training only two years ago, her skills brought master fencer Luke Skywalker out of retirement to be her coach a few months before this year’s season. Whatever Skywalker has done, it has gotten Rey into shape and she is the hopeful for the medals in the international ranks. 

\--  
“I think what made her a strong competitor this year, and what will keep her going throughout the next few years of international competition, is her incredible drive. She has been fighting to get to this point from a young age, and perhaps her path wasn’t always clear. She’s found focus and drive, and I am glad she is willing to push this far,” Luke says to an interviewer. 

Rey stands next to him, beaming brightly at her trainer, not listening to the words. 

“And, Rey, how has all the attention been for you?”

She takes a moment to realise the interviewer is asking her a question. She breathes, put her game face on, her focus intent on the man who is staring at her, microphone poised.  
“This last year has been incredible. The focus has been on the matches, I’ve positioned well. I am in a strong place for the next one along the line. We’ll keep the focus, keep going, and if you keep watching, you’ll see me win.”

She maintains eye contact with the interviewer, doesn’t answer the question on purpose. The man knows how the attentions has been; he has been part of the mad rush to get to her. To expose her back story, to make her private live explode. She smiles, makes sure it’s extra aggressive, her whole face tense.

This is why Leia, team manager, keeps her away from the camera interviews. She can’t hold back her facial expressions. Finn says that that why she’s good at a sport where she wears a mask. That why, when they practice, just the two of them down the hallways of Finn’s semi-nice building, they don’t wear them. (Luke is never allowed to know that.) They maintain eye contact, and maybe Finn is an easy target that way because he could drown in her intent looks. She knows that and it makes her form that much straighter and that much more proud. 

“And I hear you’ve recently moved in with your boyfriend?”

Rey pauses. 

“Rey?”

“I am practicing every day and my boyfriend has been an incredible support,” she says, doesn’t answer. It’s a bit more complicated than that. Yes, she lives with Finn. And yes, they moved in together during competition season. Shock, horror. She’s never been one to go by the accepted path. She has things to do, places to be and after years of being stuck in a grind of work, eat, sleep, rinse, repeat, she is glad for a home life. The interviewer doesn’t even know about Poe, doesn’t even know how all these questions not-about-the-sport had nearly ruined them. 

“Thank you, we’ll speak again soon I hope,” Luke says, puts an arm around Rey as though he’s supporting her. Rey dutifully feigns tired and they retreat quickly. 

\--  
The moment she gets into the dressing room and starts undoing the Velcro of a suit, Leia is there.

“Well done, Rey. Very strong footing, you got under their skin,” she takes Rey’s gloves, puts them down.

Rey nods, “Need to work on the upwards.”

“Oh, sure,” Leia smiles, puts a hand on Rey’s shoulder. She looks up, over at her, pauses, smiles. She’s suddenly tired, want to be home with Finn and Poe. Is Poe home tonight? She’s not sure, she hopes so. 

“I want you to go sit out and watch your teammates. We’ll talk training on the way back. You did well.”

\--

When she comes home, Finn and Poe are sitting on the floor in the hallway and are talking in quiet voices. BB is spread out between them, paws touching them both and she looks intent on a ball that isn’t moving anymore. There’s a glass of wine about to be knocked over by her tail. It’s beautiful, they’re beautiful. 

Rey toes off her shoes, steps over Poe’s outstretched legs and sits down between them, shielded from the draft of the door. Poe kisses her softly. Finn throws an arm around her and pulls her close.

“Welcome home.”

The move upsets BB and she climbs into Poe’s lap for some sympathy. 

“You’re in. I wasn’t sure,” Rey says. 

“Hmm, came to be part of the committee,” Poe says, and he rescues the glass of wine and hands it to her. 

“Did you hear the interview?”

They both nod and Finn’s face twists: “What absolutely assholes. The gut on them! They can’t just leave you be. Did you see his face? Little self satisfied smirk, he knows exactly..-“

Poe reaches for him and huffs out a little laugh, “He doesn’t. And we’re good, really good.”

“I should’ve called him out, but Leia said not to. Leia says I have to keep my head down and focus on the sport.”

“Don’t fuel them,” Poe says.

“Fuel them! They haven’t got the right. Asking you about your personal life! You’re number six in the world right now, they should be asking you about your shoe brand.”

Rey casts Finn a despairing glance, but she can't hide that she’s so fond of his defensive rants.

“OK, maybe not shoe brand,” Finn concedes. 

“We figured it out, didn’t we?”

That they did. After Finn had organised their move when Rey didn’t even have time to read a newspaper, let alone look at houses. After Poe had thought he had been dumped, because Finn had forgotten to tell him, and after they’d shown him how wrong he was.


End file.
